In many ways, the 1970’s work of W. Edwards Deming in the American auto industry is still ahead of our best thinking today.  At one consulting visit that I was fortunate enough to accompany him on, we sat in a meeting with union leaders at the headquarters of General Motors.  Deming and I were seated at a Boardroom table large enough to seat more than twenty.  The chairs against the walls of the room were filled with numbers of UAW leaders.  Deming said to them, “You have a job that no one else can do.  You have to hold management responsible for making improvements.” 

He was saying many things in those words about quality improvement, process improvement, organizational development, and other concepts essential to improving the competitive position of organizations.  He was speaking these things in 1986, and they ring equally as true in 2009.

• Management must lead the way in desire and opportunity for improvement. 
• Management must have the courage to look at rework, delays, and other sources of inefficiency and ineffectiveness. 
• Management must have the boldness to do something to improve what is found lacking. 
• Management must attend to the issues of people and communication, relationships, and leadership behaviors. 
• Management must make the opportunity to facilitate group and individual sessions that uncover the barriers to improvement. 

Deming used words that were a bit different, but his meaning was the same.  

The consulting arena has cultivated vast expertise in helping organizations with all of these challenges.  There is no lack of qualified and superb experts who are extraordinary resources in the ways of process improvement, facilitation, relationship and communication management, and leadership development.  They can significantly save an organization from failure and can help to bring the bright light of process and quality improvement into the organization as a guide.  You need only search to find the right help!